"How ruthless—pushing us this far, don't blame me for revealing my true form!"
Leon clapped his hands sharply, and a fierce gale surged, whipping up winds so strong it was hard to keep eyes open.
"Sampo, take them and go now."
"What about you—"
"Less talk—I'll hold the rear. I'll catch up later!"
Sampo wisely shut up, waving for Stelle and March 7th to follow him.
Once his companions' figures vanished, Leon intensified the wind, lifting a few people several meters off the ground.
"Hahaha, see ya later!"
Leon laughed loudly, unfurling his wings and soaring into the sky, disappearing as a blur on the horizon.
The gale gradually subsided, and one by one, figures fell from the air, landing dizzy and disoriented.
Thankfully, it was far from lethal.
Cocolia straightened her disheveled collar, her face dark as the bottom of a pot.
The cold glint in her eyes was more terrifying than a storm cloud.
She had underestimated these outsiders.
She knew Leon could fly.
But she never imagined he could summon a hurricane.
Her eyes flickered for a long moment before she flung her hand in frustration and turned to leave.
She had more pressing matters and couldn't keep chasing them.
But no matter…
These outsiders would come back to her.
No one else knew where the Stellaron was.
The plot segment ended, and players were still reeling.
The scene seemed tense but didn't skimp on humorous standoffs.
No one expected Leon to have another trick up his sleeve, slipping something into the wine sent to Cocolia.
Foreshadowing payoff +1.
So far, so good—a fun plot point full of homage.
Everyone thought Cocolia, having been so thoroughly played, would let them go.
But the opposite happened.
The protagonist's line wasn't an exaggeration.
Cocolia was truly unhinged.
What kind of stakes drove her to disregard even her daughter's life, letting her be sacrificed?
[Why does this space comedy feel like that chainsaw?]
[There's humor, sure, but this plot feels too real to be fake.]
[Gotta say, Leon's move just now was straight-up cool.]
[What's a reliable adult? tactical lean back]
[Calling him Leon? No respect—call him Father!]
[A man who gives total security, in plot and combat.]
[Full-constellation Father is insane—his early-game damage is solid, and that HP scaling's a blessing.]
Ah Xian had already been won over by Leon's rear-guard CG, now sporting a lovestruck look.
"He's so cool… I want Leon-hubby to log into my academic account… then he could check my credentials…"
[Huh?]
[Love what a viewer said: Huh?]
[Outrageous power surge!]
[Yo, let me check that need for credentials.]
[Every time I think Ah Xian's out of new tricks, she hits us with something outrageous.]
[Stop generating electricity everywhere! This is serious plot—Cocolia's so crazy she'd even kill Bronya!]
[…Honestly, I'm laughing more. The lines are too funny, and the references are everywhere.]
"OK, power surge over, back to the plot."
Ah Xian controlled the trial version of Leon provided by the story, heading to the marked location to enter the lower district.
The screen loaded, and a plot dialogue popped up.
[Young Cocolia: …They'll suffer, sacrifice, die because of my orders.]
[Voice of the Stellaron: They won't face death… they'll be cradled in the swaddle of a new world.]
[Young Cocolia: What about the people in the lower district? They'll lose the Architects' protection. They'll see me as… a tyrant.]
[Voice of the Stellaron: You've seen… the world we promise. A brief misunderstanding for eternal prosperity.]
[Voice of the Stellaron: The choice is yours… we respect it.]
[Young Cocolia: …I understand.]
Ah Xian didn't react much.
The livestream audience, however, was a different story.
If the first dialogue between the Stellaron and Cocolia could still leave room for excuses, this one explained everything.
Why send Guards to their deaths? Why seal off the lower district?
Why disregard even her daughter's life?
She was completely enthralled.
Unquestioningly believing the Stellaron's promises of a new world after death?
What a load of nonsense!
[Leon's decisions back then were so spot-on.]
[If we hadn't taken Bronya, she'd have been killed by crazy Cocolia sooner or later.]
[Enough talk—when does Cocolia get a health bar?]
…
Lower District.
In the only clinic around, Natasha shifted her gaze from the girl lying flat on the bed.
"Mr. Leon, you shouldn't have brought this upper-district girl down here."
"Because of her identity?"
Natasha sighed and explained slowly:
"The lower district's been sealed off for over a decade. Life here's been tough.
The supplies sent from the upper district are pitifully scarce—not even enough for basic sustenance.
Years of hardship have left the people here, except the kids, resentful toward the upper district.
If the Wildfire folks find out a girl in a Silvermane Guard uniform is down here, I can't guarantee her safety."
Leon smiled.
"A healer's heart—I'm a doctor too. I can't just let someone die."
Natasha paused, surprised. "Has the surface been overrun?"
"Not quite. Just that this poor kid's mother, for her own goals, doesn't care if she lives or dies."
Leon shrugged helplessly, adding casually:
"Besides, her identity's special. Through her, we might be able to change the lower district's situation in the future, no?"
"…"
Natasha fell silent.
"No need to worry about her identity. When she wakes up, have her change into lower-district clothes.
Or maybe this outfit."
Leon pulled out the standard clothing he'd shown Gepard earlier.
These were exchanged with some meager faith points—might as well use them.
"Alright."
With the conversation reaching this point, Natasha agreed, then shifted gears.
"But I'm curious about one thing. Since you're outsiders, why get involved in our affairs?"
"We don't have a choice, whether for our stance or reality," Leon said.
Natasha: "Can you clarify?"
"Ugh, gotta explain again… The Fragmentum disaster you're facing comes from something called a Stellaron.
Stellarons come in all shapes—could be a sphere, could be a diamond.
But no matter the form, if left unchecked, they'll bring catastrophic ruin to the world they're in.
Your world's been corrupted by a Stellaron. Its unique energy has trapped us in this star system.
Only by resolving the Stellaron can we leave, and the Fragmentum will stop spreading.
Does that make sense?"
"Roughly."
Natasha, thoughtful, studied Leon's eyes for a moment before nodding slightly.
"If what you're saying is true, I think Wildfire would be more than willing to cooperate with you."